The Aftermath
by fandomfreaksforlife
Summary: Following 'Insatiable' (S3/23)- see how Allison Argent's death has affected the lives of the teens and adults in Beacon Hills.
1. Chapter 1

_The Aftermath_

Chapter 1

Scott McCall lurched awake, breaking free of the nightmares that threatened to suffocate him each night. He hit the light switch on. His eyes darted to the shredded sheets and scratched-up wallpaper from where he must have frantically attempted to escape his unconscious state of terror. This wasn't a rare sight to see anymore, in fact, it is a regular occurrence most nights. The nightmares, the terrible nightmares, they always replay that dire night he lost his truly only one love.

Scott has all his friends- the kind that would sacrifice their very lives for him, but he still can't shake that sense of isolation. He is surrounded by people who constantly care for him yet he somehow feels smothered by their presence. He wants to be left completely alone, yet he craves company. He needs _her_ company. All the things he left unsaid- how he adores her, how they were always meant to be _endgame-_ hang above his head, a dark looming cloud on the horizon. He only ever wishes for more time, to turn back the clock, re-write their past…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Stiles, wake up." Lydia's voice should bring him a feeling of comfort that he desperately craves, but Stiles only feels trepidation. _Is this another dream?_ The television drones on in the background, a lady presenting a brief newscast. '_Two shot dead in Nebraska_', the headline reads. Stiles exhales a sigh of relief. _I can read- I must be awake. _He finally glances up at Lydia. Her green eyes have somehow lost that certain glimmer he had always admired and her beautiful locks are matted on one side. It's obvious she must have stayed with him all night, curled up on the stiff armchair. _Ah, I'm in a hospital room_. His relief is rapidly replaced by worry. _Wait, why am I in the hospital again?_Lydia seems to carry an air of fear in the room. Stiles inquires, "What's the matter, you okay?" At first she doesn't respond but then locks her large emerald irises onto his and reluctantly says, "Stiles…You've been in a coma for a month…Tell me, do you remember anything about the night you passed out?"

_The night I passed out…What does she mea-.._ Stiles' pupils dilate wide with fear and shock. Seemingly all at once the memories flood back, drowning out all coherent thoughts. _The Nogitsune had captured Lydia, then the Oni had…_ Stiles gasps aloud at the crushing memory. Allison is dead. Allison is dead, six feet under, _gone_ and it pains him to think and realize, _it's my entire fault._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Chris Argent felt slightly guilty for not waiting for Stiles to awaken before holding his only- his former only- daughter's funeral, but it couldn't wait. It drove him insane waiting. He knew he shouldn't, but part of him still blamed the poor kid for her death entirely. An even darker part of him wished that he would've just shot Stiles in the head back there and then at Derek's apartment weeks ago. _No, the only one to blame is the Nogitsune itself. _

Downing a fourth shot of liquor, Chris stares at the blank lifeless walls. He knew when becoming a hunter that there was a likely chance he would end up with nothing- no family, nobody to love left. He had had to accept that, of course. It's only now how much he has come to regret and understand the depth of that acceptance. Heartbreak was something he'd always thought of as a myth, an over-exaggeration. Good god, how wrong he was. The deep emotional pain is crippling, shattering his heart and crushing his soul. He's already lost his sister, wife and only child…There's not much more loss he can take…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_I love you…_" Allison's words replay over and over in Isaac Lahey's mind. However those words were not spoken out loud for him to receive, but for her ex-lover Scott. Ever since the night of her death, a deep and permanent ravine has formed in his heart. Allison is gone, _for good_. To make matters worse, she didn't even love him. He was just the receiver at the end of a telephone line with a lost signal. _That's not true- she did love you- just not how much you would have liked her to. _

Isaac shuffles along the sidewalk kicking loose stones into the road. It's been a week since the funeral and a month since she left this world. Once again, he is left with nobody. Everybody leaves him eventually, the good and the bad. He should know the drill by now- let no-one in and there's no way to get hurt. _If only it were that simple._ It takes a lot for a sweet heart to harden. Isaac's is solid cold stone.

Scott has taken Allison's death pretty hard too, Isaac has observed. _Well they were lovers._ Isaac grimaces. He notices that Scott tends to leave the house around midnight every night for a few hours. _Probably to clear his head…I wonder where he goes…_ Isaac has attempted to tail him several times before but Scott is near impossible to track- _the boy's too damn fast_. Isaac is often awoken at night due to bloodcurdling half howl, half screams coming from Scott's room. It's as if he's trying to gather his whole pack together again but then suddenly painfully remembers that now there's a member missing he can never get back.

Isaac must admit he often has difficulty sleeping too. Instead of nightmares though, he just spends hours lying on his back, counting the countless cracks in the ceiling. He feels empty, just a void in space. He has trouble stringing a sentence together at times because he has no more words left to say, none that matter anyway. _It's pointless- the whole concept of life and death and love- the whole lot of it._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It's the day after Stiles' release from hospital and Lydia has agreed to stay with him and keep him company. After all, it'd be cruel to leave him on his own after all that has happened and the awful state he's in.

They sit on Stiles' mattress, side by side, just casually chatting, until he brings up the elephant in the room- Allison's death. All day he has fretted over the fact that he may be to blame for Lydia's best friend's death. Stiles is searching for a scapegoat, unfortunately he just happened to find it in himself. "Stiles, _listen to me!_ Don't be so ridiculous! Do you know how dumb you sound right now? And I thought you were the smart one…" Lydia trails off, restraining herself from lashing out, her nerves totally shot at, "If you don't shut up soon, I'm going to have to make you! God, I'm going to _lose my mind_!" She instantly cringes at those words, suddenly remembering the significance that they hold. "Lose your mind, huh? Been there, done that already. Consult me, free of charge, if you would like any help with that." There it is, Stiles' loveable sassiness. She's relieved to see him back to his usual self again (well however much he can be at this moment in time) but right now she just feels like wringing his neck like a wet towel. _Not a good idea, Lydia, the cops of Beacon Hills already have enough crazy stuff to deal with as it is. _

"There's no need to be like that with me, Stiles. I'm here to help you and all you're doing is complaining. I am _this close_ to walking out the door right now." Lydia makes a tiny gesture with her hands to demonstrate this. Stiles sheepishly turns away, his face flushed and the snarky glint in his eye has disappeared. "Sorry, I forget… Lydia, I, uh, sorry…" Stiles stammers an almost incoherent apology whilst awkwardly running a hand through his bed-head hair, messing it up even more. Lydia can't stop herself from blushing, her icy composure quickly melting. "It's okay, I was only joking anyway…You know I wouldn't leave you, right?" Stiles' face lights up again at that, a playful smirk painted across his cheeks.

Lydia's heart skips a beat. _Focus__, Lydia__, focus._ She clears her throat audibly, relieving any tension hanging in the air. Without any warning, Stiles reaches out and grabs her hand. He grasps it firmly whilst peering into her eyes, as if attempting to read her thoughts. Lydia can't stop herself from thinking: _brown eyes have never looked so inviting. _Just as she's about to reclaim her palm and pull away, she changes her mind and squeezes his tighter instead, binding them closer. The pleasant warmth of his skin surprises her, causing tingling sensations to run up her spine and she involuntarily shivers. _I always expected his hands to be cold for some reason._ Stiles (assuming she's chilly) breaks away momentarily to shrug off his jacket, then gently places it over her bare shoulders. Lydia hopes that the smile she's desperately trying to conceal doesn't give anything away.

Stiles may be the one who needs caring for, but he still never fails to put others first. _That's what I love about him…_ His eyes hold a lot more tragedy and pain that anybody should have to face, let alone a teenage boy. Lydia finds that she suddenly can't contain herself any longer and pulls Stiles into a strong, affectionate embrace. They stay that way for a good five minutes, him breathing in her soft, floral, familiar scent, and her feeling completely at ease for the first time in what feels like forever. "Hey, remember that time you said you'd go insane if you ever lost me?" Lydia feels tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, "Well, I almost did when I thought I'd lost you… Please don't ever leave me again, promise me Stiles, please _promise me."_ She's sobbing freely now, salty tears cascading down her porcelain skin. _God, I hate it when I cry. _Stiles inches closer now, their faces only centimetres apart. He pauses to brush a teardrop away from her lips. Whilst stroking her hair and lightly circling his thumb over the back of her shaking hand, he whispers into her ear, "Hey, remember that time I told you I thought you looked really beautiful when you cry? You still do… And, I promise, Lydia, _I promise_."


End file.
